News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Thurs. Oct. 22, 2020: A former Guyana minister and the chairperson of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) party, has been slapped with a new charge of forgery arising out of the disputed March 2 regional and general election.
Volda Lawrence, was on Wednesday slapped with the charge. She was granted GUY$30,000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents), bail after appearing in at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court alongside the Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo and the election agent for the PNCR, Carol Smith-Joseph.
Mingo and Joseph were jointly charged with one count of forgery. They are also facing two counts each of conspiracy to defraud and were each granted bail in the sum of GUY$30,000 on each charge.
Lawrence also faces two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and was released on G$100,000 bail for those charges on Oct. 13th, and is expected to return to court on December 9.
Lawrence is already facing private criminal charges jointly with embattled Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, for forging electoral documents in an effort to defraud the country. Back in March, Charles Ramson Jr, who had served as PPP/C’s Counting Agent, had filed private criminal charges against Mingo and Lawrence following the RO’s declaration of unverified results for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
She was arraigned in August on this charge and also placed a G$100,000 bail. The matter is still pending in court.
The Guyana Police Force is currently probing allegations of attempts to rig the March 2 elections after receiving formal reports back in August.
